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Thursday, December 29, 2011

How Cute are these Pillows.... During one of my many online searches for pillows for our sun porch swing I came across these...

C L O U D 7 is a new label offering fashionable, contemporary products and accessories for dogs and dog lovers. The lovingly designed, high quality products have been created to enhance and strengthen the relationship between humans and their beloved pets. The brand’s foundation and philosophy is based on the core principles of Eco Friendliness and Fair Trade.

Update: Moving has been a slow process as Ralph and I have somehow both gotten sick (Colds). I cant remember the last time I had a Cold...Years, I never get Sick!! I know its because our Kitchen is packed up and I haven't eaten fruits and vegetables in weeks!! Fruits and Vegetables are seriously Miracle foods for your body.

*Happy Note: Our new house is Beautiful and we will be Officially sleeping there Saturday Night!!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Monday, December 26, 2011

So I know it’s the Holiday’s and things are always busy during this time but for us it’s been CRAZY BUSY!! All good news of course…It’s been a huge waiting game but I think we finally found “The One.” The house that we will officially make a Home, I had what seemed to be a never ending checklist of what our future home had to have and every house Ralph and I have moved into we ended up hating (including the Lake House if you can believe it)!! Just to give you an idea of a few things on the list of “Must Haves” when we started looking for another house……

A Fireplace (I know Ralph can do ALL things, such as put in hardwood floors and new cabinets but I wanted the house to have a Fire Place!! Nothing is more Homey/Romantic to me than a fireplace.)

Hardwood Floors (Bonus for us they were just put in!!)

2 Bathrooms (This house has THREE!)

All stainless steel appliances (They are still in the plastic, brand new!!)

3 bedrooms

A Jacuzzi style bathtub or enough room where one could be put in (I almost died when I walked into the master bedroom and what I thought was a walk in closet was a huge bathroom and a big Jacuzzi bathtub!!)

A pool (it does not have one but the back yard is a “dig Safe” zone so it’s not out of the question if and when we decided to put one in)

Walk in closets in Master Bedroom

Newer built home no later than 1998

Basement that is refinished (this one is so close to being done that it won’t be a problem to finish. I want back half “home gym” large front to be a playroom and side corner (which will take some construction a Home Movie Theater)

2 Car garage(this has one but its big enough for my car and Ralph’s Harley and that’s all we really care about.)

Deck (what a bonus we have a huge screened in Sun porch and a deck)

Big Back yard fenced in(The back yard is huge/not fenced in but easy fix)

Not a through street(dead end/culdesac)

Young neighbors (by that I mean our age or in the 27-37 year bracket, that are engaged/married with small children or planning to become pregnant. HAHA Ya I know it’s a lot to ask for but I love neighbors!! I had the best neighbors in our old house (not the lake house) I would bake for them, they would send their children over, we would bring each other gifts and had a good relationship. Even the older couple would leave us vegetables from his garden and I would bake them pies. They would always watch our home if we went away and vice versa. I LOVE that!! I love the “neighborhood” feeling. Unlike where we live now where it’s ALL OLD People, I actually think our neighbors hate us, no really if you drive over 7mph on the street they flag you down, they never even welcomed us to the neighborhood.

In our new neighborhood, I’ve met the neighbor next to us which was a very nice married man with two children a boy (8) and girl (11) (Potential baby sitters hahaha) and the neighbors in front of us have a small baby about 8 months old, and I saw a woman and her husband walking their dog about Ralph’s and I’s age and she was pregnant. So it looks like a seemingly “young” neighborhood. What I love is when you first drive into our Neighborhood, The sky seems to open up and its very “Cookie Cutter”, Kinda like the movie Pleasantville and can I tell you I love love love that kind of neighborhood. Everyone waves when you drive by, nice cars in the driveways, yards are green and mowed and all the houses are decorated for the holiday.

I Love our House, its brownish/beige vinyl siding with deep red shutters and deep red accents. Hopefully this is our final move in a long time!! But needless to say, I may be MIA for a brief period, as I will be Moving (pointing my finger) to where things go. Ralph and I decided to make things easy and Hire people to do the dirty work, we have cleaners going in the new and old house to clean and wash all windows, movers coming Friday, Deliveries spaced throughout the week. Although I have been at the house getting measurements and dropping off area rugs today after purchase, one less thing to move. Oh and did I mention one of my Christmas gifts was a cherry wood Renaissance canopy bed we have a cali King Tempurpedic and have yet to purchase a proper frame as it was extremely difficult to find a bedroom set we liked that would fit our bed. I love Huge/Clunky furniture if you know was I mean, anything that looks “Fairytale” like, my style definitely varies but I Love elegant, magical and romantic pieces and don’t mind spending money on classic staples that will be a part of our Home for a very long time. I ordered it a few weeks ago and won’t be here till the 7th long wait but well worth it. I can’t wait till it gets here!!!

I hate moving to new towns, although a few perks of the town we are moving to are 1) There is a WHOLE FOODS!!! My favorite Grocery store ever! 2) Barnes and Noble/Starbucks!! 3) Ralph’s best friend T lives 3 minutes away and so does my Uncle & Auntie, so if Ralph goes plowing this year in the middle of the night during a snow storm I won’t be completely petrified! (I’m a Wicked whip, it’s actually kinda ridiculous.) It’s also just nice to know we have close friends and family a hop, skip and a jump away. I know I will get use to our new town but I just wish my Mommy lived next door ;) We timed it today and it is 8 ½ minutes away from her house on the lake…. Not too bad, speeding just a little.

I can’t wait to give you all a glimpse of the inside of our Home...Maybe tomorrow I will snap a few pictures :o)

Sunday, December 25, 2011

What a Magical Day today was, I love my family and friends. TWO WEEKS of Holiday Gatherings, Traditions and Preparing have made this household very tired… Although very Blessed, as we celebrated the Birth of Jesus. It’s amazing how the most important things are not “things” at all.

May you all be Blessed with good health, food, warmth, love and laughter.

A sneak peek into Christmas....

I was lavished with so many gifts and I'm extremely thankful for all!! Although I wont list them, 1) it would take forever and 2) I don't feel like that's what Christmas is about. Some tend to think they are spoiled by gifts, I'm spoiled by blessings, a warm home, loving family, good health and the ability to make a difference in other people's lives. I hope everyone was able to see past the stress of the holiday and really enjoy the true meaning of Christmas. Love, Sarah with an H

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

A friend of mine called me the other day asking where she could hide her “Elf of the Shelf” that was Creative, as it’s already flown all around the house. All the ideas I had suggested she said she has already placed them there (she has two). These are “Magical” elf’s so I thought long and hard and finally thought of something Fun that the Kids could also participate in too!!

So here it is:

Take you Tiny Tots out Gardening, It’s perfect now because there is no snow and the ground isn’t frozen yet!!! (For my Massachusetts Blog Followers)

I know what you all are thinking GARDENING!?!? Where is she going with this…. You will see!! :)

What you will need:

5 Peppermints

Shovel

Watering can

5 Candy Canes

Elf on the Shelf

Take you Kiddies outside and have them plant 5 peppermints, water and head back inside for some hot cocoa…It’s COLD out!!

-While kiddies are sleeping- Plant 5 Candy Canes where the peppermints were and position your Crazy elf next to it. Not only will they be overwhelmed with Joy that they Grew Candy Canes, They will be even more excited that they found their Elf!!

Her Kids went Crazy with excitement!! Here are their two Crazy elf's and their candy canes that they grew from their "peppermint seeds."

Incase you have no clue what The Elf on the Shelf is, here is a quick briefing....

Have you ever wondered how Santa knows who is naughty and who is nice? The Elf on the Shelf – A Christmas Tradition is the very special tool that helps Santa know who to put on the Naughty and Nice list. This interactive holiday hide-and-seek tradition is perfect for children and families of all ages.

The tradition begins when Santa sends his scout elves out to Elf Adoption Centers. Waiting for their families to bring them home, these patient elves hibernate until their family reads The Elf on the Shelf, gives their elf a very special name, and registers their adoption online. Once named, each scout elf will receive its Christmas magic and become a part of the family’s Christmas each and every year.

Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa. Taking in all the day-to-day activities around the house, no good deed goes unnoticed; these scout elves take their job seriously.

Each night, after the family goes to bed, the scout elf uses his magical Christmas powers to fly back to the North Pole. Once there, the elf will make his or her daily report to Santa and visit with elf friends where they will tell stories about their beloved families, play with the reindeer, and of course, sneak some of Mrs. Claus’ cookies!

Before the family awakes each morning, their special scout elf will fly back to their home from the North Pole. However, since these elves like to play games, don’t expect to find them in the same spot! While some like to hide in the freezer (probably because it reminds them of the North Pole) and others prefer to sit on the fireplace mantle or hang from the chandelier, these elves love to play hide-and-seek with their families.

On Christmas Eve, the scout elf will listen for Santa’s bell and then fly back to the North Pole until the next season, wishing every girl and each boy a Christmas of peace and a year full of joy.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

For the past two years we have been doing Christmas Breakfast at Our Home with my immediate family before we get ready for the day and head to Ralph's Families and my families houses. This Christmas Morning spread will include: CHRISTMAS STICKY BUNS

Monday, December 19, 2011

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Sarah with a H will be doing a new segment called BABY of The Month. Each Month you will meet an Adorable little baby. You will learn cute facts and get to see super cute pinch their cheeks kinda pictures. Enjoy!

December’s BABY of The Month

Ashlynn

Some of Ashlynn’s Hobbies include:

Hanging out at the Fire Station with her Fire Fighter Daddy

Ashlynn's Favorite thing to munch on is Goldfish!!

In her free time you can find her in her pink car which she calls her " vroom vroom" most likely jammin’ out to the chipmunks soundtrack “Single Ladies”

Ashlynn LOVES her Big Sister

There will be 12 Baby’s posted this year after the 12th Baby of The Month is featured I will be putting all 12 Baby Names in a bowl for the Grand Prize Drawing. Which I will choose at Random LIVE Stream for all Momma’s to see!!!

If you would like to have your baby featured or nominate a baby please contact me Via Facebook or e-mail me at sarahreneelee@yahoo.com

Saturday, December 17, 2011

So you are all probably wondering, what is a Yankee Swap??? So here is a quick briefing….

In Yankee Swap each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order — with a twist.

The person who receives the number 1 will pick a gift from the pile and open it for all to see. During the selection of a wrapped gift, the participant may visually inspect the gifts, pick them up and/or gently shake them.

The person who receives number 2 then chooses a gift and opens it, and then must decide whether to keep it or swap it for the first player’s gift. Each person in order then gets to select a present, open it and decide whether to keep it or swap it for any other gift someone has already opened.

Opening of gifts and swapping takes place until all the presents have been chosen. Finally, the person who picked first gets to choose from all the gifts or keep what she has already received. In the end, the gift you are holding is the gift you take home.

It was quit eventful as the Hit gift was Sue Star’s “Betsey Johnson” Purse stuffed with Make-up, after lots of threats of high heels to the eye it went from girl to girl to girl and then finally went to the one who picked the #1, MARA!! I picked number ten and knew with 13 girls participating in this part of the night I would lose the bag and decided to go with one I wanted as the others swapped for the bag. For me an “At Home Spa Kit” because you all know I like LOVE to pamper myself!

Ashley was not Happy as she just lost her Bettyville bag....This spa kit was taken 1 minute later by me :o)

The excitement after realizing there was more to the Plunger gift!!

Sonia was excited for her Basket of Product ;)

It was a great night full of friends, Laughs and Food. Oh and did I mention that I originally unwrapped a Toilet Plunger!!!!! *But it was the “gag” gift as my real gifts came out after which were cute frames, that I did eventually swap for my spa package that comes with Super cute Leopard Slippers, Coconut Mango Body Cream, and Cooling Treatment Mask, all packed in a reusable storage bag. Pampering Post coming soon, stay tuned Jaylin ;)

Unfortunately I had to bail out early as that was my 2nd stop of the evening, my final destination ….. Throwing on my hideously Ugly Sweater and spent the rest of the night Jammin’ out to Jingle Bell Rock!

Can you find the Elf??

For a good Laugh check out A Day on the Lake or click Here for an Easy recipe to bring to your next Holiday Party!!

Today as I ran around getting things done for the 1st New Years (yippee)...More to come on that Later ;) I made a pit stop at my Cousin's to Hug & Kiss Baby C. It's Amazing how small she really is....Pictures don't really do it justice, but just to give you an idea she is about the size of a DVD (yes a dvd!!) She was born 3 weeks early and I think we are all just overwhelmed with excitement that she is here for the Holiday's, which means a lot of running around to get "Baby's 1st" Stockings, ornaments and even presents!! Now it's time to get Ready.... 3 Holiday Parties in one night, should be exciting and exhausting all in one.... I LOVE THE HOLIDAY'S!!

She's doing the "Bend and Snap"

Carlie's 1st Smile

The Crib seems to swallow her up, she is such a peanut!! Enjoy the Holiday's Y'all :)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

I Love getting Sammie’s Pictures done, so when a local Photographer was offering Santa Pictures at her Studio I just couldn't resist. I would have taken Joshy but since his back surgery I have been hesitant to take him anywhere. Although he is doing Great and I did debate whether or not to take him up until I walked out the door, I thought it would be best if he just relaxed at home.

Sam had two outfit changes, He wore a white button down from the Gap with a Vest from the Children’s Place (Yes he wears children’s clothes, Dog clothes are not that stylish or made of good material) and for his Second Outfit He wore his Elf Costume. He did so well with Santa… I stood there with him for the first few shots until he was comfortable and then he really enjoyed it….As you can tell from his big Happy Smile!!! My mom was also there so she Loved to reward him after few shots with a Cookie (She Spoils him too).

The Photographer was Fabulous and made the environment pet friendly; Sam was completely at ease and was able to freely walk around during outfit changes and a few little breaks. The whole experience was wonderful for a “Pet” owner because you never know how they are going to react. Sam had lots of Praise throughout his shoot and I think he felt like a Super Star, Check out the pictures below. Also for inquiries about his photographer or pricing you can contact “Starlettenight-photography Shell Heusmann” Via facebook. She is reasonably priced and does private photo shoots as well. (Not just pets)